Stirring apparatus

Abstract: An improved stirring apparatus having its mixing performance and power efficiency enhanced with a simple construction, is disclosed herein. On the opposite sides of a rotary stirring shaft (4) are mounted a vertical flat blade (5) and a first inclined flat blades (6) as opposed to each other, a first vertical flat blade (8) associated with a sweptback blade is mounted to the stirring shaft (4) at the position under the first inclined flat blades (6), and a second inclined flat blade or blades (7) and a second vertical flat blade (9) associated with a sweptback blade are mounted to the stirring shaft (4) at the position under the vertical flat blade (5). When the stirring shaft rotates, ascending flows of liquid to be processed along the inner wall within a vessel are generated by the vertical flat blade (5) and the first and second vertical flat blades (8, 9) each associated with a sweptback blade, descending flows of liquid to be processed are generated by the inclined flat blades (6, 7), and thereby a mixing performance can be enhanced.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: 1. Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a stirring apparatus available for the purpose of various stirring operations including mixing and reaction operations, for instance, stirring of a liquid-liquid system of solutions having different viscosities, stirring of a solid-liquid system of slurry-like materials or the like. 2. Description of the Prior Art: As stirring blades equipped in heretofore known stirring apparatuses, paddle blades, turbine blades, propeller blades, multi-stage paddle blades or the like were used for stirring a fluid having a low viscosity, and helical ribbon blades, screw blades or the like were used for stirring a fluid having a high viscosity. In the case where a liquid is fed into a stirring vessel filled with another liquid having a different viscosity, and an operation of uniformly mixing two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities, that is, the so-called hetero-viscosity mixing is carried out by means of the above-described stirring blades in the prior art, however, the problems as described in the following are involved. (1) If the stirring blades for low-viscosity use (paddle blades, turbine blades, propeller blades, multi-stage paddle blades or the like) were used, then there were problems that a mixing performance was poor because circulation flows of the material to be stirred within a stirring vessel were formed only in the proximity of the stirring blades and circulation flows over the entire space within the vessel could not be formed, and also that a power efficiency was also poor because stirring power is consumed only in the proximity of the stirring blades. (2) If the stirring blades for high-viscosity use (helical ribbon blades, screw blades or the like) were used, then there were problems that although the blades revealed an excellent mixing performance for high-viscosity liquids (liquids having a viscosity of several hundreds - several thousands poises or higher), circulation flows over the entire space within the vessel could not be formed for relatively low-viscosity liquids (liquids having a viscosity of several thousands - several hundreds or lower), and so, a mixing performance was poor. In addition, such type of stirring blades had shortcomings that manufacture was difficult and high in cost and also cleaning at the time of stoppage of an operation was not easy because the configurations of the blades were complicated. A stirring apparatus for reactions of highly viscous materials is known from DE-38 17 380 A1 and comprises a vessel in which a rotary stirring shaft is disposed vertically. A vertical flat blade is mounted on one side of the stirring shaft parallel to the axis thereof. An inclined flat blade is mounted on the other side of the stirring shaft opposite to the vertical flat blade at an angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft. The blades are disposed so as to not come in contact with the vessel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved stirring apparatus which is free from the above-described problems in the prior art and which is applicable to stirring of fluids having a wide range of viscosity. According to the present invention, an improved stirring apparatus comprises a vertical flat blade mounted on one side of a rotary stirring shaft disposed vertically within a vessel and parallel to the axis of the stirring shaft; a plurality of first inclined flat blades mounted on the other side of said stirring shaft in the range of the mounting height of said vertical flat blade at an angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft and spaced from one another so as to generate a descending flow; a first vertical flat blade with a sweptback portion, this blade being positioned directly under said first inclined flat blades and mounted on said stirring shaft parallel to its axis; one or a plurality of second inclined flat blades positioned directly under the vertical flat blade at an angle with respect to the axis of said stirring shaft and spaced from one another so as to generate a descending flow; a second vertical flat blade with a sweptback portion, this second vertical flat blade being positioned directly under the second inclined flat blades in the range of the mounting height of said first vertical flat blade with the sweptback portion and mounted in parallel to the axis of said stirring shaft; whereby said first and second inclined flat blades have horizontal leading and trailing edges, and the blades are inclined to a horizontal plane; whereby the sweptback portions of the first and second vertical flat blades are outer sections of the respective blade which are retreated in the opposite direction of rotation of the blades; and whereby said vertical flat blade, said first and second inclined flat blades and said first and second vertical flat blades with the sweptback portions are disposed so as not to come into contact with said vessel. According to another feature of the present invention, in the above-featured stirring apparatus, the above-mentioned vertical flat blade, first and second inclined flat blades and first and second vertical flat blades each with the sweptback portion are disposed in the range from a bottom surface to the proximity of a level of liquid to be processed within the vessel. According to still another feature of the present invention, in the above-featured stirring apparatus, there are provided baffle plates disposed vertically on the inner wall surface of the vessel. According to the present invention, owing to the above-described arrangement of the vertical flat blade, first and second inclined flat blades and first and second vertical flat blades each provided with a sweptback portion along the axis of the stirring shaft, as a result of rotation of the stirring shaft, the following advantages are obtained: (1) Ascending flows are generated in the material to be processed in the proximity of the inner wall surface of the stirring vessel by the action of the vertical flat blade, the first and second inclined flat blades and the first and second vertical flat blades each with a sweptback portion. (2) Descending flows are generated in the material to be processed in the proximity of the center axis of the stirring vessel by the action of the inclined flat blades. (3) As a result of the above-mentioned phenomena (1) and (2), circulation flows are formed over the entire region within the stirring vessel. Thereby it becomes possible to mix two or more kinds of fluids quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, owing to the baffle plates disposed vertically on the inner wall surface of the vessel, generation of revolving flows in the inner circumferential direction within the vessel is prevented, and so, formation of ascending flows and descending flows over the entire region within the vessel is promoted. The above-mentioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description of one preferred embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section front view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is another horizontal cross-section view taken along line III-III in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is still another horizontal cross-section view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a partial cross-section view taken along line V-V in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is an explanatory illustration of flows of material to be processed in the same preferred embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: Now description will be made on one preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. As shown in Fig. 1, a rotary shaft 2 arranged vertically is inserted into a cylinder-shaped vertical type stirring vessel 1 in which two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities are accommodated, and this rotary shaft 2 is connected via a shaft coupling 3 to a stirring shaft 4 disposed vertically at the central portion of the stirring vessel 1. On the stirring shaft 4 are disposed a vertical flat blade 5, first and second inclined flat blades 6 and 7, and first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 each provided with a sweptback blade-portion. The vertical flat blade 5 is mounted on one side of the stirring shaft 4 in parallel to the axis of the stirring shaft 4. In the range of the mounting height of the vertical flat blade 5, on the opposite side to the vertical flat blade 5 of the stirring shaft 4 are mounted a plurality of first inclined flat blades 6 as spaced from one another and at an angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft 4. Under the first inclined flat blades 6, a first vertical flat blade 8 provided with a sweptback blade-portion is mounted on the circumference of the stirring shaft 4 in parallel to its axis at the position in the same orientation as the first inclined flat blades 6. Also, under the vertical flat blade 5, in the range of the mounting height of the first vertical flat blade 8 provided with the sweptback portion, a second inclined flat blade or blades 7 are mounted on the stirring shaft 4 as spaced from one another and at an angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft 4, and a second vertical flat blade 9 provided with a sweptback blade-portion is mounted on the stirring shaft in parallel to its axis. The second inclined flat blade or blades 7 are positioned above the second vertical flat blade 9 with the sweptback portion as spaced from one another, and the both blades 7 and 9 are positioned on the circumference of the stirring shaft in the same orientation as the vertical flat blade 5. The above-described first and second inclined flat blades 6 and 7 are disposed in parallel to one another at an equal inclination angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft 4 so that descending flows may be generated in the liquid to be processed within the stirring vessel 1 when the stirring shaft 4 rotates (the direction of rotation being indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1). The sweptback portions of the above-described first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 are formed at the tip end portions of the same blades 8 and 9 and they are bent towards the back side with respect to the direction of rotation of the stirring shaft 4. Furthermore, the above-described various blades in the upper region and in the lower region disposed in the above-described manner on the stirring shaft 4 directed in the vertical direction, are arranged vertically in the range from the position near to the bottom surface up to the proximity of a level L of the liquid to be processed within the stirring vessel 1. On the inner wall surface of the stirring vessel 1 are equipped a plurality of baffle plates 10 directed vertically and extending from the bottom surface of the stirring vessel 1 up to the proximity of an upper limit of the level of the liquid to be processed. These baffle plates 10 have the effects of preventing generation of revolving flows along the inner circumference of the stirring vessel 1 caused by the above-described various stirring blades 5 to 9 at the time of stirring, and promoting formation of ascending flows and descending flows extending over the entire region within the stirring vessel 1. In the illustrated embodiment, when the stirring shaft 4 is rotationally driven via the rotary shaft 2 within the stirring vessel 1 filled with two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities, the stirring blades 5 - 9 rotate about the axis of the stirring shaft 4. As a result of the rotation of the vertical flat blade 5 and the first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 each provided with the sweptback blade-portion, outward radial flows of the liquids to be processed towards the inner wall surface of the stirring vessel 1 are generated, and these radial flows collide against the inner wall surface of the stirring vessel 1 and become ascending flows along the wall surface of the straight cylinder portion of the stirring vessel 1. These ascending flows become concentric flows towards the center axis of the stirring vessel 1 in the proximity of the level L of the liquids to be processed, and as a result of rotation of the first and second inclined flat blades 6 and 7 mounted on the stirring shaft 4, they become descending flows in the central portion within the stirring vessel 1. Accordingly, within the stirring vessel 1 are formed large circulating flows over its entire region, and so, two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities can be mixed efficiently. Fig. 6 shows a state of flows of liquids to be processed within the stirring vessel 1 in the case where two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities are stirred by making use of the stirring apparatus according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, and in this figure, the above-described flows of liquids within the stirring vessel 1 are indicated by arrows. As a result of various experiments conducted by the inventors of this invention, it was proved that in order to achieve highly efficient mixing, preferably the radial dimensions of the first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 each provided with the sweptback blade-portion are chosen to be 50 - 70% of the radial dimension of the stirring vessel 1. In addition, the bent position of their sweptback portions is preferably chosen at the position of 70 - 80% of their radial dimensions with reference to the axis of the stirring shaft 4. Also it is preferable to choose the radial dimension of the vertical flat blade 5 at the above smaller than the radial dimensions of the first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 each provided with the sweptback blade-portion at the below. It is necessary that the dimensions in the direction of height of the vertical flat blade 5 and the first and second vertical flat blades 8 and 9 are determined so that a bending moment in the stirring shaft caused by the loads acting upon the respective blades at the time of stirring may become minimum. In the following, explanation will be made with respect to contents of the experiments conducted by the inventor of this invention for demonstrating the advantages of the stirring apparatus according to the present invention in contrast to the heretofore known stirring apparatus. Within a stirring vessel of 200 mm in inner diameter and 400 mm in height and made of transparent acrylic resin is preliminarily filled with 8 liters of a millet jelly solution and an I 2 solution having a density ρ = 1377 kg/m 3 and a viscosity µ = 2 kg/m·sec, after both solutions have been mixed uniformly, 300 cc of a Na 2 S 2 O 3 solution having a viscosity µ = 0.001 kg/m·sec was charged, the stirring apparatus was rotated at a rotational speed n = 1 - 4 rps by making use of various stirring blades, then a time t (sec) necessitated before dark brown color of I 2 has been decolored by Na 2 S 2 O 3 was measured as a mixing completion time, and thereby mixing performance data at the time of hetero-viscosity mixing operation of various stirring blades were acquired. In addition, a torque meter was equipped in the driving device for the stirring blades to measure a torque during stirring or mixing operations, and thereby power consumption data of various stirring blades were acquired. In order to comparatively evaluate mixing performances and power characteristics of various kinds of stirring blades, correlation data of a mixing time t (sec) with respect to power consumption per unit volume P ν (kW/m 3 ) were measured and the results are shown in Table 1. Shape of Stirring Blades Outer Diameter of Blades Mixing Time t (sec) d(mm) P ν =0.1 P ν =0.5 P ν =1.0 P ν =2.0 P ν =3.0 P ν =5.0 Stirring Blades shown in Fig. 1 (Blades According to the Present Invention) 120 300 20 11 7.2 6.2 5.5 Multi-Stage Inclined Paddle Blades (Blades in the Prior Art) 106.6 1700 800 570 410 340 270 From Table-1 above, it has been confirmed that as compared to the stirring blades in the prior art, in the case of the stirring apparatus according to the present invention, a mixing time t (sec) for any given power consumption per unit volume P ν (kW/m 3 ) is short, and in the mixing of two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities as described above, the mixing performance is excellent. As will be seen from the detailed description of one preferred embodiment of the present invention above, according to the present invention, owing to the improved construction of the stirring apparatus as particularly specified in appended Claim 1, ascending flows are generated in the proximity of the inner wall surface of a stirring vessel as a result of rotation of a vertical flat blade and first and second vertical flat blades each associated with a sweptback blade, and also descending flows are generated in the proximity of the center axis of the stirring vessel as a result of rotation of first and second inclined flat blades. As an effect of these phenomena, circulation flows of material to be processed are formed over the entire region within the stirring vessel, and therefore, in a mixing operation of two or more kinds of liquids having different viscosities, highly efficient stirring can be achieved with low power.

Claims: A stirring apparatus comprising a vertical flat blade (5) mounted on one side of a rotary stirring shaft (4) disposed vertically within a vessel (1) and parallel to the axis of the stirring shaft (4); a plurality of first inclined flat blades (6) mounted on the other side of said stirring shaft (4) in the range of the mounting height of said vertical flat blade (5) at an angle with respect to the axis of the stirring shaft and spaced from one another so as to generate a descending flow; a first vertical flat blade (8) with a sweptback portion, this blade being positioned directly under said first inclined flat blades (6) and mounted on said stirring shaft (4) parallel to its axis; one or a plurality of second inclined flat blades (7) positioned directly under the vertical flat blade (5) at an angle with respect to the axis of said stirring shaft (4) and spaced from one another so as to generate a descending flow; a second vertical flat blade (9) with a sweptback portion, this second vertical flat blade (9) being positioned directly under the second inclined flat blades (7) in the range of the mounting height of said first vertical flat blade (8) with the sweptback portion and mounted in parallel to the axis of said stirring shaft (4); whereby said first and second inclined flat blades (6, 7) have horizontal leading and trailing edges, and the blades are inclined to a horizontal plane; whereby the sweptback portions of the first and second vertical flat blades (8, 9) are outer sections of the respective blade which are retreated in the opposite direction of rotation of the blades; and whereby said vertical flat blade (5), said first and second inclined flat blades (6, 7) and said first and second vertical flat blades (8, 9) with the sweptback portions are disposed so as not to come into contact with said vessel (1). A stirring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical flat blade (5), said first and second inclined flat blades (6, 7) and said first and second vertical flat blades (8, 9) with the sweptback portions are disposed in the range from a bottom surface to the proximity of a level (L) of liquid to be processed within the vessel (1). A stirring apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said apparatus is provided with baffle plates (10) disposed vertically on the inner wall surface of the vessel (1).

Inventors: KAWAOKA TAKAYOSHI, NAKAMURA KENICHIRO, OGASAWARA HIROAKI, OMOTO SETSUO, SHIMADA TAKAFUMI, KAWAOKA, TAKAYOSHI, NAKAMURA, KENICHIRO, OGASAWARA, HIROAKI, OMOTO, SETSUO, SHIMADA, TAKAFUMI, KAWAOKA, TAKAYOSHI, C/O HIROSHIMA MACH. WORKS OF, NAKAMURA, KENICHIRO, C/O HIROSHIMA MACH. WORKS OF, OGASAWARA, HIROAKI, C/O HIROSHIMA MACH. WORKS OF, Omoto, Setsuo, c/o Hiroshima Res. &amp; Dev. Ctr., Shimada, Takafumi, c/o Hiroshima Res. &amp; Dev. Ctr.
Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD, MITSUBISHI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B01F15
IPC codes: B01F7, B01F15